About this indicator
Fertilizer is a primary source of nitrogen and phosphorus and often reaches surface and groundwater systems through farm or urban/suburban runoff or infiltration. Implementing best management practices and employing precision agriculture methods to ensure appropriate fertilizer application can significantly reduce fertilizer nitrogen and phosphorus use and runoff. This indicator shows the amounts of fertilizer nitrogen and phosporus purchased by states in years 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011, as well as the % change in average amounts purchased per year during years 2007–2011 vs. years 2002–2006. Excluded from analysis were liming materials, peat, potting soils, soil amendments, soil additives, soil conditioners, and livestock manure.

Amounts of fertilizer nitrogen (N) purchased by states in individual years 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011, and the % change in average amounts purchased per year from 2002–2006 to 2007–2011. Fertilizer information is reported by state fertilizer control offices and excludes livestock manure, liming materials, peat, potting soils, soil amendments, soil additives, and soil conditioners.

State

Fertilizer purchased in 2003
(1000 kg of N)

Fertilizer purchased in 2005
(1000 kg of N)

Fertilizer purchased in 2007
(1000 kg of N)

Fertilizer purchased in 2009
(1000 kg of N)

Fertilizer purchased in 2011
(1000 kg of N)

% change from 2002–2006 to 2007–2011*

Alabama

90,956

114,387

106,729

60,319

68,225

-19%

Alaska

2,741

2,741

2,741

2,501

2,817

-2%

Arizona

96,855

89,720

71,420

89,747

60,041

-23%

Arkansas

265,684

227,586

297,798

213,021

223,361

-3%

California

792,148

694,217

670,619

609,774

672,302

-8%

Colorado

110,324

115,719

130,718

121,902

152,647

16%

Connecticut

10,791

8,284

10,634

8,889

8,480

-15%

Delaware

15,364

15,759

17,730

18,451

20,181

24%

Florida

204,011

210,484

195,075

137,725

146,542

-22%

Georgia

154,006

147,884

167,766

113,422

109,857

-22%

Hawaii

12,550

12,550

12,550

11,578

12,881

-1%

Idaho

192,428

211,142

203,021

172,028

210,900

-9%

Illinois

717,834

836,437

950,530

948,223

964,434

11%

Indiana

463,811

531,979

510,904

487,380

516,263

7%

Iowa

860,894

940,910

1,091,559

936,589

1,214,110

16%

Kansas

617,369

661,394

824,216

628,161

601,499

8%

Kentucky

179,037

174,617

200,739

164,229

179,875

-2%

Louisiana

184,113

191,609

191,288

178,056

203,915

11%

Maine

21,178

30,439

37,443

30,891

31,078

20%

Maryland

41,426

67,238

11,392

38,003

39,836

-33%

Massachusetts

13,072

16,486

17,476

13,621

13,599

-4%

Michigan

214,616

227,079

243,641

175,800

200,393

-8%

Minnesota

575,280

573,841

630,108

569,554

666,979

6%

Mississippi

186,206

115,483

153,519

98,040

107,933

-20%

Missouri

402,742

420,645

476,829

353,128

431,119

-1%

Montana

117,047

106,200

158,226

138,305

228,141

38%

Nebraska

700,200

735,424

733,803

790,434

850,422

10%

Nevada

9,648

8,663

10,602

9,410

9,246

-1%

New Hampshire

3,205

3,926

4,510

4,081

4,243

2%

New Jersey

24,172

23,603

25,313

26,020

20,904

-1%

New Mexico

35,557

36,944

44,142

35,655

26,240

-5%

New York

69,705

75,038

72,843

57,185

70,747

-11%

North Carolina

139,140

151,515

189,244

130,629

155,102

1%

North Dakota

474,384

529,708

577,922

386,125

649,113

12%

Ohio

393,350

375,008

329,679

357,747

306,996

-6%

Oklahoma

315,213

238,106

228,405

248,299

259,305

-3%

Oregon

192,496

171,326

175,643

126,462

176,867

-7%

Pennsylvania

62,488

77,861

95,757

103,827

86,632

13%

Rhode Island

1,413

2,070

2,485

2,400

2,047

11%

South Carolina

63,720

62,694

65,808

21,047

50,785

-27%

South Dakota

395,359

405,967

418,597

370,465

472,276

1%

Tennessee

129,075

146,957

115,979

127,607

85,883

-21%

Texas

797,626

745,259

736,993

643,462

560,879

-14%

Utah

13,164

15,390

15,936

15,367

20,432

20%

Vermont

4,279

7,904

6,745

8,207

8,176

17%

Virginia

86,004

76,265

84,151

71,359

85,962

-5%

Washington

204,657

212,058

220,620

181,474

200,406

0%

West Virginia

5,228

34,342

21,481

1,949

5,778

-53%

Wisconsin

226,508

223,049

274,394

252,201

283,808

10%

Wyoming

84,001

90,542

91,773

79,016

165,678

24%

* Data are the % change in average amounts of fertilizer N purchased per year during years 2007–2011 vs. years 2002–2006.
Source: Commercial Fertilizers annual data, 2002–2011, maintained by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials for The Fertilizer Institute

Amounts of fertilizer P2O5 purchased by states in individual years 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011, and the % change in average amounts purchased per year from 2002–2006 to 2007–2011. Fertilizer information is reported by state fertilizer control offices and excludes livestock manure, liming materials, peat, potting soils, soil amendments, soil additives, and soil conditioners.

State

Fertilizer purchased in 2003
(1000 kg of P2O5)

Fertilizer purchased in 2005
(1000 kg of P2O5)

Fertilizer purchased in 2007
(1000 kg of P2O5)

Fertilizer purchased in 2009
(1000 kg of P2O5)

Fertilizer purchased in 2011
(1000 kg of P2O5)

% change from 2002–2006 to 2007–2011*

Alabama

44,090

55,450

52,253

30,683

39,936

-13%

Alaska

733

733

733

594

754

-3%

Arizona

32,319

46,129

28,318

20,071

20,429

-41%

Arkansas

84,605

74,587

78,079

47,873

66,212

-21%

California

207,920

236,867

250,766

102,797

172,683

-31%

Colorado

42,009

43,197

28,845

32,530

29,378

-25%

Connecticut

3,438

3,592

3,200

2,196

1,642

-35%

Delaware

3,768

3,551

3,409

2,863

3,264

19%

Florida

70,104

64,324

60,847

35,746

43,162

-33%

Georgia

111,193

118,646

118,204

19,808

22,781

-65%

Hawaii

4,265

4,265

4,265

3,583

4,344

-3%

Idaho

97,713

93,261

82,568

65,674

85,963

-9%

Illinois

231,367

278,092

310,134

245,310

298,433

-1%

Indiana

181,756

211,126

185,818

149,008

196,903

0%

Iowa

315,952

332,640

338,698

209,164

458,196

8%

Kansas

178,441

188,468

202,775

146,760

180,621

-3%

Kentucky

89,681

84,179

95,785

56,916

70,386

-20%

Louisiana

45,269

34,797

35,227

24,323

39,165

-5%

Maine

18,270

26,256

32,297

25,967

25,935

19%

Maryland

13,993

15,042

17,622

8,245

18,854

-17%

Massachusetts

4,267

5,222

5,065

3,172

2,744

-28%

Michigan

77,386

74,731

73,583

47,744

50,026

-25%

Minnesota

233,776

270,487

252,859

191,133

299,381

1%

Mississippi

31,027

28,754

35,965

16,570

22,527

-32%

Missouri

170,595

174,269

178,888

91,626

173,988

-14%

Montana

60,173

60,008

73,602

65,801

69,681

12%

Nebraska

210,829

247,184

231,818

274,365

289,017

10%

Nevada

7,862

7,190

6,717

5,004

6,531

-13%

New Hampshire

941

1,291

1,624

1,045

1,129

12%

New Jersey

8,470

8,021

8,712

6,105

4,321

-24%

New Mexico

10,596

8,108

13,288

9,548

10,621

-1%

New York

28,970

29,639

29,224

19,074

25,680

-20%

North Carolina

88,149

93,565

98,552

69,780

93,672

-10%

North Dakota

186,109

213,397

237,229

132,064

233,412

10%

Ohio

158,348

164,924

146,000

119,679

98,215

-11%

Oklahoma

90,676

81,970

53,160

38,988

57,418

-32%

Oregon

48,587

63,083

58,862

35,023

40,797

-15%

Pennsylvania

28,723

30,573

31,013

27,459

25,616

-17%

Rhode Island

515

756

826

582

460

-19%

South Carolina

25,164

22,059

24,941

6,258

14,642

-36%

South Dakota

178,039

199,819

195,622

166,166

242,449

3%

Tennessee

69,203

77,120

54,433

45,321

37,060

-40%

Texas

194,437

232,830

189,662

136,028

144,209

-24%

Utah

9,052

14,378

13,093

13,546

9,970

1%

Vermont

2,264

3,095

2,616

2,314

1,846

-10%

Virginia

49,641

43,332

40,368

26,259

28,970

-35%

Washington

50,432

52,630

53,608

38,619

42,026

-7%

West Virginia

2,914

1,259

3,429

847

4,125

45%

Wisconsin

64,409

68,040

78,748

54,947

80,269

-1%

Wyoming

21,392

22,098

22,399

19,052

27,799

1%

Note - P2O5 is 44% phosphorus. By convention, the amount (or analysis grade) of phosphorus in fertilizers is expressed in this oxide form. Additionally, The Association of American Plant Food Control officials have developed a uniform state fertilizer bill which says that available P2O5 must be guaranteed by the manufacturer and so the guaranteed analysis of phosphorus must be expressed in the oxide form.
* Data are the % change in average amounts of fertilizer P2O5 purchased per year during years 2007–2011 vs. years 2002–2006.
Source: Commercial Fertilizers annual data, 2002–2011, maintained by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials for The Fertilizer Institute

Data source information
Data are from the 2002-2011 Commercial Fertilizers databases, maintained by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO) for The Fertilizer Institute. With a few exceptions (see next section below), these yearly data are based on fertilizer consumption information, in terms of fertilizer sales or shipments, reported by state fertilizer control offices to AAPFCO. The data presented are the amounts of fertilizer purchased by each state in individual years corresponding to the Commercial Fertilizers 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011 reports. In most cases, the yearly report presents data for that “fertilizer year” or FY (from July 1st of previous year through June 30th of year of the report), but see the next section below for exceptions. The data in the column entitled % change from 2002–2006 to 2007–2011 equal the average amounts purchased in years 2007–2011 subtracted by the average amounts purchased in years 2002–2006, divided by the average amounts purchased in years 2002–2006, and converted to percentage format: ([(av 2007–2011) – (av 2002–2006)]/av 2002–2006)*100.

What to consider when using these data
Most of the data presented here are based on fertilizer consumption information, in terms of sales or shipments, submitted by state fertilizer control offices to AAPFCO, and are for the “fertilizer year” or FY (from July 1st of previous year through June 30th of current/report year). Cases in which alternative methods were used by AAPFCO or states to obtain or report data, or data are for alternative time frames, are listed here:

Estimation of fertilizer purchased in AL, AK, HI, and ME for all years, in UT for years 2008 and 2009, in VT for year 2010, and in WY for years 2002–2009. For these states, the AAPFCO estimates reported and used for this dataset were either:

set as equal to a previous year’s data or estimate (AL, 2004 estimate set as equal to 2003 estimate; AK, 2003–2008 estimates set as equal to 2002 estimate; HI, 2002–2008 estimates set as equal to an original estimate by TVA ~1989; UT, 2008 estimate set as equal to 2007 data); or

based on the last data or estimate reported by the state (AK, 2002 and 2009–2011 estimates based on the previous year’s estimate; HI, 2009–2011 estimates based on the previous year’s estimate; ME, 2002–2010 estimates based on 1994 data; UT, 2009 estimate based on 2008 estimate; VT, 2010 estimate based on 2009 data; and WY, 2002–2009 estimates based on 1993 data) with yearly adjustments derived from the weighted average of the change in the reported tonnage from surrounding states (AK and HI, 2009 estimates used 36 “surrounding” states, 2010 estimates used 45 “surrounding” states, and 2011 estimates used 46 “surrounding” states; ME, 2002–2011 estimates used CT, MA, NH and RI; UT, 2009 estimate used CO and NV; VT, 2010 estimate used 45 “surrounding” states; and WY 2002–2009 estimates used CO, ID, MT and in all years except 2009, UT); or

based on income from inspection fees (AL, all years except 2004).

All estimates were proportioned into the amounts of individual materials and grades (and thus amounts of phosphorus vs. nitrogen) that were purchased the year of each state’s last detailed report or original estimate (AL, 1998; see last bullet for other states).

Estimation of fertilizer grade (and thus amounts of phosphorus vs. nitrogen) by states or AAPFCO for some or all mixed fertilizers. This included non-farm fertilizers in CA; all mixed fertilizers in GA, NC, AL; all mixed fertilizers in AZ from 2001–2006; all mixed fertilizers in OH in 2005; specialty products in TX; and all mixed fertilizers in WI in 2002.

In the 2002-2008 reports, data from VT, ND, and SD are for the previous calendar year.

Data from VT (2009 report), and CO, ND and SD (2009–2011 reports) are for the calendar year (Jan-Dec of the year of the report).

Data from OH (2006–2011 reports) are for Nov 1 of the previous year–Oct 30 of the year of the report.

Data from TX (all years’ reports) are for Sept 1 of the previous year–Aug 31 of the year of the report.

Additionally, users should consider that the rate of delivery of nitrogen and phosphorus from land-applied fertilizer to streams is dependent on the amount, timing, and placement of application, as well as best management practices to minimize runoff from fields.